God's Spirit Helps Us Speak His Truth

"That we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1 Corinthians 2:12b-13)

When Peter had to prepare oral book reports for school, he always asked his dad for help. Peter thought every sentence his dad said sounded perfect for his report, and he knew that he would never have been smart enough to think of them on his own. It just seemed like his dad always knew just the right thing to say.

When it comes to speaking about God, the Holy Spirit gives us the perfect things to say. The Bible says we are supposed to be speaking about what God has "given to us." But we are not supposed to speak with "man's wisdom"  including our own wisdom and our parents' wisdom. The Holy Spirit teaches us the wisdom that we need to use. He is our teacher.

The Bible is not saying that the Holy Spirit is going to write your book reports for you or that you should not ask your parents to help you prepare for a speech about God. The Bible is saying that every time you talk about God's truth, the Holy Spirit is helping you. God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us understand "spiritual things" and then to help us tell others about those spiritual truths.

God will help us speak His truth.

My Response:» Do I depend on my own brain or on the Holy Spirit when I talk to others about God's truth?

William Carey

“Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.”

Fifteen years before the United States of America officially became its own independent nation, one of the world’s greatest missionaries was born. In a small cottage in Paulerspury, England, William Carey was born on August 17, 1761. The oldest child in his family, William enjoyed learning and loved reading. He especially enjoyed reading about “explorers” – so much so that his friends nicknamed him “Columbus” when he was young.

Carey spent his teen years apprenticed to a shoemaker. He grew up to become a shoemaker and…so much more! He would often look over at the globe he had made of shoe-leather, and he would begin to weep. Why? It was such a painful reminder that people all over the world were dying and going to hell. Carey had read in Andrew Fuller’s book this line: "If it is the duty of all men to believe whenever the Gospel is presented to them, it must be the duty of all who have received the Gospel to endeavor to make it universally known." He felt that responsibility to share the Gospel with everyone for the glory of God.

Because missionaries were virtually unheard of during his lifetime, Carey faced many challenges when he decided to go to the mission field. Other preachers and even some of his respected friends argued with him, saying short-sighted things like, “If God wants people to get saved, He’ll save them without your help! Give it up!”

Carey disagreed, believing and obeying instead the Great Commission: “Go ye therefore, and teach [make disciples from] all nations.” He declared that we ought to “expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”

His dogged commitment to reach all people groups with the Gospel, and to do so in an efficient and God-glorifying way, led to the beginnings of the modern missions movement. Today, missionaries are free to travel all over the world to share the Gospel because of this “Father of Modern Missions.”

William Carey dared to do the impossible and led many to Christ as a result. He spent 40 years as a missionary in India. They were years full of difficult, heartbreaking trials and setbacks! It was six years before Carey saw someone convert to Christianity. There were deaths in his family, a fire that destroyed their mission facilities along with months and months of translation work, and many more apparent tragedies and obstacles that looked impossible to overcome. But God had sovereignly appointed Carey’s mission there, and God sustained him and brought glory to Himself through Carey’s work.

The “father of modern missions” has been quoted as saying, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.” Do you imagine you know what will make your future “bright”? God promises never to leave you, for example (Hebrews 13:5)! And God promises always to love you! (Romans 8:39). Can you press on in the way God has laid out for you, in spite of what friends and family might say to try to discourage you? Can you trust Him to hold you and keep you for His glory, even when things around you are falling apart?

Mark 16:15 – And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”

Description of God

The King Eternal1 Timothy 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Question & Answer

Specifically concerning sin, how do the benefits of salvation affect our present?

God's gift of salvation delivers us from the power of sin. Colossians 1:13 – Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

BIG Christian Word

Adoption - (a-dop'shun)

Adoption is an act of God whereby he makes us members of his family. We are adopted by God when we believe in and accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour. God becomes our heavenly Father and he desires to give us his blessings. (John 1:12) "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"